Direct benefit transfer for LPG scheme launched

The scheme would benefit over 6.7 million LPG consumers in these districts,Moily said. “The subsidy on LPG cylinders would be provided directly to consumers in their Aadhaar-linked or Unique Identification Number (UID) bank accounts,” he added.

The scheme will be implemented in Mysore,the second district chosen for the pilot project in Karnataka,in July as it was postponed due to election code in the wake of May five Assembly polls in Karnataka,Moily said.

All Aadhaar-linked domestic LPG consumers will get an advance in their bank account as soon as they book the first subsidised cylinder before delivery,Moily said.

As soon as,the first subsidised cylinder is delivered to such consumers,the next subsidy will again get credited in their bank account,which can then be available for the purchase of the next subsidised cylinder at market rate,he added.

All LPG consumers who have not linked their Aadhaar number to LPG consumer number and their bank account will have three month grace period from date of launch to do so. During this period they will continue to get the LPG cylinders at subsidized rate,as they are getting today,up to the cap of 9 cylinders.

After the end grace period,LPG cylinders will be sold to all domestic LPG consumers at market price. However,the subsidy will be transferred to only those who have linked Aadhaar number to LPG consumer number and Bank account and

others will not get any subsidy,he said.

Moily said the Centre wants to extend the scheme of domestic LPG supply to cover 75 per cent of the population in next three years.

The oil ministry is working on incentivising distributors for successful implementation of the scheme for LPG consumers scheme. “The details of it is being worked out and will be decided in next three months,” Moily said.

He said the feasibility report of the LNG terminal in Mangalore is ready and foundation stone would be laid in three to four months.

He said the state should use the Dhabol-Bangalore gas pipeline for its benefit by speeding works on the local grid to industries and the cities enroute the 1000 km pipeline.

The state would also benefit through three other pipelines – Kochi-Mangalore,Kochi-Bangalore via Tamil Nadu and Chitradurga-Mangalore.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said 50 per cent of the state’s population has been provided with Aadhaar numbers. Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman Nandan Nilekani said Aadhaar scheme,launched four years ago,had enrolled 40 crore people in the country and 35 crore had been issued the numbers. “Our focus is to cover the vulnerable sections of the society first,” he added.

Other districts where the scheme is being launched from June 1 include Anantpur,Chittoor,East Godavari,Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy in Andhra Pradesh; Diu in Daman and Diu; North Goa; Bilaspur,Hamirpur and Una in Himachal Pradesh; Pathanamthitta and Wayand in Kerala; Wardha in Maharasthra; Pondicherry; SBS Nagar/Nawanshahar in Punjab and East Nimar (Khandwa) and Harda in Madhya Pradesh.

The scheme would be roled out in Mandi from July 1.